A Moment Like This
by unusualauthor
Summary: With their relationship growing stronger everyday, Paine and Rikku are on top of the world. Only one thing could make it perfect. But even the strongest couples have pety arguments, will they be able to handle it? Shojo ai. Paine x Rikku. Sequel.
1. Chapter 1

**A Moment Like This**

To make up for my unexcusable, extended (and partly lazy) absence--I am uploading a new story. Also because I just finished uploading the final chapter of my Teen Titan's one. I hope you guys enjoy this one. I'm working very hard on this one. Hopefully this one has a better...writing style you could say.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"Paine! Paine, wake up!"

"Uh-uh. Good dream." The warrior turned over and ignored the voice in her ear.

"Paine, this is important!" The blonde thief continued to shake Paine awake.

"I told you—good dream." Paine slurred. The dream she was having was WAY too good to let go. She didn't want it to end. It involved her and Rikku, in the elevator of the Celsius, doing-

"Paine! Yuna's having the baby!"

"Holy crap!" Forget the dram. Paine rolled out of bed, "Why didn't you say so?"

"You weren't listening."

"Forget it. Where are my pants?"

"How should I know? You didn't wear them to bed." Rikku said with a weird grin on her face.

There was no time for sexual memories. Paine quickly ran to her closet and grabbed some clothes. Next, she ran to the bathroom to run a quick slab of gel and wash her face.

When she was ready, she stumbled out of the bathroom.

"C'mon, let's go." Rikku held out her hand.

Paine took it and they both ran out of the room together.

* * *

"Are we at Besaid yet?" Yuna exhaled through strained breath. 

"No, lady summoner. We will be soon." Brother answered from the pilot's seat.

"Well hurry up. I can't hold this baby in much longer."

"It's okay, Yunie. We'll make it." The optimistic thief walked in. She left Paine to go comfort her cousin.

Everybody but Tidus and Rikku stood off a little as to not crowd Yuna. Nobody wanted to stand near her anyways. A sweaty, snappy woman temporarily took the place for the woman that was supposed to be sweet, quiet Yuna.

"How you feeling?" Her husband, Tidus, attempted to take her mind off the pain.

"I'm having a baby! How do you think I'm feeling!"

Everybody jumped back. This wasn't the Yuna they knew.

"What happened to Lady Yuna?" Shinra found shelter behind Paine.

"Pregnancy does that to you." Paine looked down at the child hiding behind her.

"Will this be a permanent condition?"

"Let's hope not. I doubt it though."

"That's good to hear."

The warrior turned her attention back to the in-labor Yuna.

"It's okay, Yunie. Just relax." Rikku continued to brush hair out of the brunette's face, holding her hand, comfort her and such things like that.

It was such a sight seeing Rikku actually being serious for once. Paine wished she had a sphere with her so she could record this precious moment.

It was so sweet. She was so cute when she was like this. It made her smile.

A sweet little voice pulled Paine out of her thoughts.

"What?" The thief asked innocently.

"Nothing." Paine flashed her a small smile.

Convinced, Rikku turned her attention back to the lady summoner, who also turned out to be her cousin. She continued to mumble little lines of reassurance.

It seemed to help perhaps the only thing keeping Yuna's mind off the labor pain. Tidus wasn't helping much except for offering his lap as a pillow. He was too busy suffering from the shock--as it is for every new, expecting father.

To Paine, it looked like Yuna was going to faint from the pain—Tidus looked like he was going to faint from the pure shock.

'Heh. Poor guy.'

"Lady Summoner, We've arrived." Brother announced.

"Oh, thank Yevon!"

* * *

"You're doing good, Yuna. Keep pushing." 

"I AM PUSHING!"

and things like that could be heard from the waiting room. The whole crew, with the exception of Rikku and Tidus, had to be confined to the cramped space they called the waiting room.

"I can't do this anymore! I don't want to!"

'Boy, Yuna sure sounds like she's in a lot of pain.' This concerned the ruby-eyed warrior. Yuna usually had a high thresh hold for pain. If she was screaming this loud from birthing a child-

"I'm never having kids." Paine told herself.

"What's that?" Shinra, who happened to be standing next to her, looked over.

"Nothing. Why don't you go play outside?"

The young boy stood firmly. "No, I don't want to. I want to be here for Lady Yuna."

"Okay, but it's gonna get-"

There was a very loud, very long scream filled with pain that could be heard all throughout Spira. Yuna was in the final stage of child-birth.

As soon as her pain-filled scream stopped, another one started. This one was worse than the first one. It was loud and obnoxious. It sounded like…the scream of new life.

"See Shinra, didn't I say it was gonna get-Shinra?"

The youth was on the ground…huddled up in a ball…covering his ears…in shock.

The concerned warrior bent down, "Kid?"

"My ears." He squeaked.

"I told you didn't I?" Paine took a seat on the ground next to him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just a little scared."

"Well I think it's over now. So you can relax." She leaned on the wall and stretched her legs out.

"Cool." The younger set mimicked and leaned against the wall also.

The warrior crossed her legs, and the kid genius did the same. She crossed her arms, he followed suit.

Paine chuckled. "You're all right, kid." She tousled his hair-err-the head part of his body suit.

"You're all right too."

The two sat in comforted silence and waited for somebody to come out of those birthing room doors.

Someone did come out a couple minutes late, but Paine spaced out and didn't notice.

"Aww. That's so cute. Paine's being all sisterly." Rikku stood in the doorway, admiring the sight in front of her.

"Take a picture. It'll last longer." The warrior joked.

"Wouldn't you rather see the baby?"

"Yeah I would. I'll be back Shinra. Where's the little guy?" She stood up and followed Rikku through the doors to wherever Yuna was being kept right now.

"The little 'girl' is with Yunie right now." emphasis on the word 'girl.'

There was the sound of shoes screeching on the floor. "It's a girl?"

"Yup." The thief stood proud. "What's the matter?"

Paine stood there with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Paine?" Rikku waved a hand in front of the silver-haired woman's face.

"Huh?" She snapped back to reality. "Oh, sorry. I was just thinkin' that it was a good thing I didn't bet you anything."

"On what?"

"The baby's gender."

"Oh. Heh. Yeah." The thief rubbed the back of her neck. She could've gotten something good from the warrior. Maybe some things like...okay, never mind.

Anyways...

Personally, Paine was hoping for a baby boy. There was already three women on the Celsius. No need for another case of PMS in the years to come.

It wasn't that she favored guys more than girls. The only reason she wanted a baby nephew was because she had that feeling—when Yuna first told everyone that she was pregnant those nine months ago—that it was going to be a boy. Those were her first thoughts: 'it's gonna be a boy.'

But instead, the heavens had blessed her with a baby niece. And that was just fine with her.

"Paine, look."

The warrior looked up from the ground. The first thing she saw was Yuna sitting up in a bed. And in her arms she held a pink bundle of blankets.

"Let's see the little bundle of joy."

She walked over to the side of the bed. A little hand was poking out, so she pulled away a fold of the blanket to reveal the rest of the newborn baby.

"Oh my God. Yuna, she looks just like you."

The little one was sleeping soundly. Everything about her resembled Yuna. The facial structure, the skin tone, her nose, her lips—everything. The only difference between mother and daughter was that the baby barely had any hair. But even the little tuft that was there had the same color as its older version.

And those ears those cute, little ears—they were so perfectly shaped to the proportion of the face. Those too, were inherited from Yuna. She was always a good listener. Looks like baby would inherit that too.

Paine looked up at the father, who was standing on the other side of the bed, "You're one lucky guy, Tidus."

"Thanks."

"Oh, she's awake." Yuna called their attention.

The brief conversation had, indeed, woken the baby up. Everyone looked at the new arrival.

Her little eyes scanned her surroundings.

Then Paine noticed something. She leaned in closer and squinted a bit—

"She's got your eyes, Rikku."

"Really?"

The thief walked over as Paine continued to admire those shining, green eyes.

"Hey you're right." Rikku looked up to the proud, new mother. "Yunie, how's that possible?"

"I truly don't know." The summoner was as equally bewildered. "We ARE family so…"

"That's so cool." Rikku put her finger into the baby's palm and let her little fingers wrap around it. She smiled at her new, little niece. "What's her name?"

"Well, Tidus and I have both agreed. We're going to call her 'Ayane.'"

"It's beautiful."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful baby girl." Paine added.

Everybody continued to admire little Ayane by smiling at her while Yuna gently rocked her.

Then the beautiful silence was pierced by a very loud scream.

"Aye….Yevon. The girl can cry." Paine, who happened to be the closest one to Ayane's face, covered her ears to prevent her eardrums from being damaged even more.

"She's hungry." The doctor said from the doorway. He walked to Yuna's side. "If you all would be so kind as to give the mother some privacy for a couple minutes."

Everybody did so. The all left the room and closed the door behind them.

Gippal, Buddy, Brother, and Shinra were sitting in the waiting room, anxious to meet the new addition to the team.

"Tidus. Congratulations." Buddy shook the new father's hand.

"Yes. Much congrats." Gippal took his turn to shake Tidus' hand.

"My congratulations to you, friend." Brother slapped him on the back rather than shaking hands.

The young genius, Shinra, waddled over to where the only two women in the room were standing.

"Do we get to see the baby yet?" He asked expectantly.

"In a couple minutes. She's eating right now." Paine answered the boys' question.

"Okay." He stood there for a couple seconds before becoming anxious again. "What's she look like?"

"She's beautiful. You'll know when you see her."

"Ooooh. I can't wait." Little Shinra started to bounce on his heels and get all fidgety again from the anxiety.

He continued that for about another fifteen minutes before the doctor finally announced that they all could finally see the baby again.

Shinra practically ran into the room, leaving the four grown men to eat his imaginary dust.

"I can't see." The poor boy's head barely reached over the top of the bed. "Where is she?"

"Let me help you there, kid." A very helpful Tidus hoisted the boy onto the bed.

"Wow. She IS pretty. What's her name?"

Already having seen little Ayane, Paine and Rikku hung back at the doorway, letting the rest of the crew have their turn to see the baby.

Excited chattering filled the room. The grown men were congratulating the new parents. Shinra was asking questions about Ayane and Yuna happily supplied him with the answers.

Paine looked on at the sight, enjoying every minute of it. She leaned on the doorframe, content with her surroundings.

Rikku leaned against her, content with her surroundings too.

"You want one of those, don't you?" She wrapped an arm around the warrior.

"Huh?" Paine snapped out of her staring trance.

"A kid."

It was kind of an odd statement, seeing that two women couldn't exactly reproduce.

But the more Paine thought about it, the more she came to realize—Rikku wanted children. They could always adopt, but were they ready for the responsibility? The commitment, the time, the patience….the diapers? It was a big step that would take their relationship to a whole new level.

She made up her mind. This was what she wanted. What they both wanted.

"Yeah…yeah I do." The warrior wrapped a tight arm around Rikku, holding her close.

There was one other thing Paine wanted. Another big decision—one Rikku didn't know of. A big decision that would also take their relationship to a whole new level. It was a big decision to make…and she was going to take it.

She made her decision right where she stood—and she was glad she did.

This was something she wanted to do.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well? How was the first chapter? Let me know. 


	2. Chapter 2

I got good reviews for this story. Which is a good thing cause now I got a reason to update more. I've been falling a little behind in all my fan fictions…what with school and studying for finals and all. But I'm exempt from them all so I guess I'm just being lazy…whoops.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

A mysterious figure walked into the grass hut that served as a doctor's office on the island of Besaid. It came unannounced and nobody seemed to hear it come it. They approached the two women who were leaning against a doorframe, their footsteps unheard.

A hand reached out to grab Paine's shoulder. An easy target.

"What'd I miss?"

"Gah!" Paine jumped at the touch of the hand on her shoulder. She turned to face her assailant. "Lulu!" She squealed at the familiar face.

"Holy crap, Lulu. Don't ever do that again." Rikku—who had apparently scared to death too and thrown from Paine's side—stood a couple feet away, clutching a hand to her chest.

The black mage chuckled. "I'm sorry, Rikku. I thought you'd be happy to see me." She said with a smile.

"Oh, I am. Just, right after my heartbeat goes back to normal." The thief said while taking deep breaths, adrenaline still running through her body.

"It's been a while, Lulu." Paine hugged her old friend. "What're you doin' here?"

"To see the baby, of course. Brother contacted me earlier."

"Where IS Wakka?" Rikku asked, having her turn to hug the dark-haired woman.

"He'll be here soon. He's just getting Junior ready."

"How old is the little tyke again?"

"He turned fifteen months about a week ago. Just learned how to walk too."

"Really? Jeez, the last time we saw him, he was barely out of your stomach."

"It HAS been a while."

"It sure has."

"It's still great to see you though." The thief gave another hug.

"Lu, you in there?" A deep, heavily accented voice called from outside.

"Yes dear."

"Mama!" A tiny boy waddled in, running towards his mother.

Junior, the offspring of Lulu and Wakka, was a toddler of fifteen months. He had dark orange hair like his dad and ruby colored eyes like his mom. He was small for his age, but full of spunk. What he lacked in height, he made up for in brainpower, as the Celsius crew was told by the proud parents a few months ago.

"There's mommy's little boy." Lulu picked up her child. "Do you remember Auntie Paine and Auntie Rikku?"

The little boy shook his head shyly and buried his face into his mom's shoulder.

"At least say 'hi,' ya?" The former blitzball player walked over.

"Wakka!" The thief threw her arms around the much taller man. "How's it going?" she punched his arm in her excitement. It hurt her more than it hurt him, seeing that he had the muscles of an elephant. "Ow." She cradled her poor little hand.

"I'm good, ya. How you doin', kid?" The muscular man picked up the blonde in a bone-crushing bear hug.

"I'm fine. But my back isn't."

The tall-haired man only responded by hugging her even tighter. There was aloud crack, which was poor Rikku's back.

"Ow. Hey. My back feels great now. Thanks Wakka." She rotated her shoulders.

"Ha ha. Good to be of help. Now, where's the new little blitz baby?"

"A blitz baby, eh? Let's wait a little while before we hand her a blitzball, kay?"

"Whatever you say Miss Rikku, ma'am. Now, please point me in the direction of the non-blitzer baby." Wakka bowed playfully in his accented voice.

"This way, good sir." The thief bowed back, gesturing into Yuna's room in a butler-like manner.

The former blitzball player and dark mage couple walked excitedly into the room, Junior settled onto his mother's hip.

There was an excited squeal followed by an 'Oh my gosh! Lulu! Wakka!' from Yuna, a startled cry from Ayane, and a 'What're you guys doin' here?' from Tidus and everyone else.

"It's so great to see you, Lulu. Why are you guys here?" Yuna hugged her old mage buddy with her free arm.

"To see you and the baby, of course. Brother called us before you arrived." The older woman hugged back in an awkward position as to not crush the baby in Yuna's arms or the one resting on her hip.

"Even if he didn't call us, we couldn't miss you guys with that big, obvious ship you got parked right outside, ya?" An eager Wakka took his turn to greet the new mother and baby.

"Oh yeah. You guys got a hut right up the hill, right?" Tidus vaguely remembered.

"Yeah, mon." Wakka shook Tidus' hand and slapped him on the back. "What's it feel like to be a dad?"

"It's great. Best feeling ever."

"They're until they learn how to walk. Trust me." The more experienced father leaned in, using a hand to cover the side of his mouth.

"Don't tell him that! You're gonna scare him." His wife scolded him.

"Sorry dear." Wakka held up his hands in defeat.

The man next to him snickered.

"Tidus, don't laugh. It's not funny." HIS wife took her turn to scold her husband.

"Right. Sorry, honey." Tidus straightened and tried to put on a serious face.

The three bachelors in the room snickered, knowing they couldn't get shushed by a spouse.

"Shh!" The two women hissed in unison.

The three straightened immediately. That shut them up.

* * *

The rest of the day passed by unnoticed. Only when the moon took its place in the sky did everybody realize the day had come and gone.

"Man, how time flies. What time is it?" An exhausted Rikku looked up at the clock. It read 9 o' clock. "Holy geez it's late."

"We should head back to ship. I'm starving." Brother's stomach grumbled in agreement. "Lulu, Wakka, you come too?"

"Heck yes. It's been a while since I've been on the Celsius. Lu, what'chu say?" Wakka turned to his wife for permission.

"Why not? It's been a while." Lulu looked down at her son. "But we shouldn't stay long. Junior's getting tired."

"Oh! You are more than welcome to stay overnight on ship." Brother, the captain of the Celsius stepped forward.

"Well, I guess we can stay late then. Lu?" The former blitzer turned to his wife again, asking for silent permission.

"Why not? I think Junior will like it." The mage shrugged in agreement.

"Is great! We head over now." The excited captain jumped up.

The whole group filed out, saying 'goodbye' to Yuna on their way out.

Paine brought up the rear. About to give Yuna a quick nod goodbye, she saw a very tired looking Tidus.

"Tidus?"

"What?" He snorted and jerked his head up.

The warrior felt sorry for the poor guy. He'd been up since early morning when Yuna first started going into labor. The blonde looked like he was going to nod off right where he sat.

"Why don't you go? I'll stay here and keep Yuna company."

"Huh?" The exhausted man's eyes drooped. "Oh no, that's all right. I'm fine."

"You look tired. You should get some sleep."

"I can sleep here. This chair's pretty comfy." He swayed in his armchair, off-balanced.

"Tidus, dear. Go get some sleep." His wife interjected.

"'Kay." He mumbled absent-mindedly and slowly shuffled out the door.

He passed by an amused looking Rikku.

"Heh. You did a good job, Yunie. He actually listens now." The thief chuckled. "Paine, you coming?"

"I was gonna stay here with Yuna."

"Really? Can I stay too?" Rikku looked at her cousin.

"I'd love for you to. But the doctor said only one person could keep me company tonight." The summoner bore the bad news. She gave her cousin a guilty grin.

"Does that mean I have to spend the night away from Paine?" The blonde pouted.

"Yes. Unfortunately."

The thief slumped and pouted at the taller warrior.

"It's only for one night." Paine said to the tearing up eyes of Rikku. "Plus, you have to make sure everybody stays out of trouble." Thought it would probably be Rikku causing most of it anyways.

"Okaaaaay." The little thief drawled. "I'll come back first thing in the morning." She ran and jumped into the taller woman's arms. Giving a quick goodbye kiss, another hug, and a goodbye to Yuna, she ran out of the room and caught up with the group heading to the Celsius.

"Finally, some quiet relaxation." The summoner relaxed into her pillow and let out an exhausted sigh.

"Yeah." The warrior agreed and plopped onto the cushioned armchair right next to the bed, leaning her head over the back.

"So, what were you gonna tell me?" Yuna asked after a couple minutes of silence.

"Nothing." The reclined Paine answered, not moving from her position.

"I know there's something."

"Oh?" The silver-haired woman opened an eye.

"I know you, Paine. You wouldn't have been so generous to Tidus and let him have the luxury of sleeping on the airship."

The warrior responded by returning to her relaxed position, almost ignoring Yuna's presence.

This was something that the summoner was used to. Paine always did this when she was thinking. She watched for a minute or so, observing times when the warrior's eyes scrunched up tightly for a second, or listening to the steady rhythm of her breathing.

"Paine. Is this about Rikku?" It was almost a rhetorical question.

The warrior dropped her feet to the ground, "Yeah." She sighed. "How'd you know?"

"Paine, do you-" The mother put her sleeping baby in the little bassinet that was set next to her bed. Her arms being free from the weight of her child, she swung her legs over the side to face the other woman, leaning back and using her arms to support her. "-do you love my cousin?" she finished.

"That's not a question really…" Paine somewhat trailed off, staring at an imaginary spot on the opposite wall. "Of course I do. More than anything. It's just that…there's…something…"

"What? You can tell me. Rikku's my family—which makes you practically family."

"Are we? There's one way to make it official."

"Paine? What're you gonna do?" the brunette's curiosity took her farther. "Are you gonna-"

The warrior shushed the summoner. Pulling her chair closer, the two began what would look like a very intense and interesting conversation.

* * *

**To be continued...**

Well? Did you like this chapter? Let me know.


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow. Sorry I haven't been here in forever. I went on vacation to California to visit my very bestest friend, Christina (aka _uniquewriter_). I planned on updating at least one chapter before leaving…but that didn't work out to well. I noticed I haven't updated a lot this summer either. I apologize. I promise I'll kick myself in the butt real hard later.**

**So here's a chapter for all of you. Though I know it won't make up for my absence.**

**Chapter 3**

An alarm went off somewhere. She couldn't quite pinpoint it, everything was all fuzzy.

Sunlight poured into the room, aiding in her awakening.

Fumbling for the snooze button, the sleepy little thief sat up. Half awake, she groggily rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

The clock digitally blinked 9 a.m.. Surprising how she could wake up so early after all of yesterday's festivities.

Two days ago she was Rikku, thief extraordinaire. Yesterday, she was Rikku, newly instated aunt—of a very beautiful niece, she might add.

And today, she would be Rikku: thief, aunt, and ecstatic to see her ruby-eyed warrior again.

Instantly feeling a burst of energy with the thoughts of Paine in her mind, she quickly hopped out of bed and skipped to the bathroom to get ready.

Once ready, she carefully and speedily tiptoed towards the exit of the Celsius. Making sure not to disturb the other sleeping inhabitants, she crept into the kitchen and snatched to apples for breakfast—one for her and one for Paine.

Luckily, the Celsius was parked in a clearing not far from where the hospital hut where Yuna and Paine were staying.

She silently made her way to the hut, making sure no to disturb the sleeping inhabitants here either.

But to her surprise, there were no sleeping inhabitants, but two wide awake individuals engrossed in a conversation.

Yuna was the first to spot the eager visitor.

"Hey cousin, why here so early?" she waved with a strange glint in her eyes that Rikku didn't quite catch.

"Why, to see you and baby, of course."

Paine, who was facing away from the door, looked over her shoulder and flashed a welcoming grin.

"You too." The thief walked over and bent over to hug her warrior from behind. Comfortably resting her chin on a sturdy shoulder, "Brung you some food." She held the apple out.

"Oh thank you Shiva! I'm so hungry." The warrior gratefully took the apple from the offering hand, "Hospital food sucks." She let the slender arms continue to draper over her shoulders.

"It wasn't THAT bad." Yuna interjected. "The meat wasn't as chewy as I thought." She absent-mindedly started to pick the back of her teeth with an index finger.

"If you like eating rocks." The warrior ran a finger over her teeth to make sure they were all accounted for.

"So," the blonde hooked her arms together in around the silver haired one's neck, "what'cha guys talkin' about?"

The warrior froze and the summoner chocked on her spit.

"Uh-the weather-yeah-the weather." The stuttering Paine fumbled for the first excuse off the top of her head. "Nothing important." She grinned sheepishly through Yuna's coughing fit in the background.

"Aw, c'mon." The thief pressed her cheek against Paine's, "You can tell me. What were you guys REALLY talkin' about?"

Yuna started to cough even harder. Partially because she was chocking on her spit, and partially to be obnoxious.

"You okay, Yunie?" the blonde walked over and patted her cousin on the back, "Are you gettin' sick?"

The summoner shook her head and continued to cough obnoxiously. She threw a conspicuous look at Paine, ordering her to change the subject.

"Dah-Rikku-what'd you guys do last night?" the warrior stammered the first thing that popped into her head.

It succeeded. The thief immediately forgot about the current subject and started to ramble about last night's events.

Turns out—there was loud music, lots of food, a soda chugging contest, and a whole bunch of festivities that left every person on the Celsius with a sugar high and drunk off fun.

The remnants of last night were shown on Rikku's face. She had baggy eyes, mussed up hair, and sported a tired look on her facial features.

"So…you had fun?" Paine asked after her blonde friend finished her rambling. She wiped a mental sweat drop off her forehead, successful in her attempt to divert Rikku's attention.

"Shyeah! You shoulda seen Brother. He wan the soda chugging contest—he's still awake from all the caffeine!" The thief slapped her knee.

What about Lulu and Wakka?"

"Oh! It was hilarious! Little Junior suffered from a sugar high right before his bedtime. You should've seen Lulu's face!" Another slap on the knee. "Wakka sure got a beating for that one."

" 'Scuse me?" A deep voice came from the doorway.

Rikku whipped around, "Oh nothing! Did I say 'beating'? I meant…slightly scolded." She threw her hands up and flashed a sheepish grin.

"Thought so. I might've had to beat the snot outta ya." Wakka lightly socked the thief's arm to prove his point.

"You? Beat ME? Yeah right." She stood firm. After he walked by, "Ow." She pursed her lips to prevent a squeak of pain from escaping.

"Don't worry. He's just a sore loser." Lulu walked up and placed a hand lightly to the thief's shoulder.

"I'd hate to see him on a GOOD day." Rikku proceeded to cradle her injured arm.

The mage gave a small smile and went to the bed to go talk to Yuna, little Junior waddling close behind. The little boy stopped and gave Rikku a polite smile, then quickly scampered to his mother's side.

The blonde followed close behind. Craving attention from her silver-haired warrior, she stood next to the chair where she was sitting, "Paine?" she whimpered childishly.

"Yes?" Paine turned her attention to the thief.

"Wakka gave me a boo-boo." The blonde pouted and cradled her arm.

"You want me to make it feel better?" The warrior played along.

"Mm-hmm."

"'Kay. C'mere." The warrior opened her arms. The thief excitedly sat in the offered lap. Lightly, she planted a kiss on the shoulder of the 'injured' arm, "Better?"

"Yeah. But now my face hurts too." The Al Bhed grinned mischievously and pointed, specifically, to her lips.

"Not in front of the children."

The thief jutted out her bottom lip.

"Nuh-uh."

Rikku jutted her lip out even more.

"Doesn't work." The warrior smirked at the blonde's pouty look. She gave a small kiss on the thief's cheek, "I owe you one later." She whispered into the side of her friend's face.

"Fine." Rikku mumbled, disappointed but satisfied. She'd the warrior pay through the nose later.

So she took Paine's hands and hooked them together to rest across her stomach, like a seatbelt.

She loved sitting like this. It was so comforting, so relaxing, so-

"Here, hold this." A fatherly Wakka plopped his son onto Rikku's lap and quickly shuffled to Yuna's bedside to hold the baby.

"Uhh…" The thief stared wide-eyed at the curious child in her lap, not knowing what to do. "…Hi?" she grinned.

Then, little Junior's eyes started to water. Tears welled up and threatened to spill. His little bottom lip quivered and let out a whimper.

"Uh-oh. Paine…" she leaned back against her warrior armchair, "I think he's gonna-"

The child took a deep breath, preparing to blast out the mother of all wails.

"Here." The warrior hurriedly put a lock of Rikku's beaded hair in front of his face before he had a chance to make a sound.

It absolutely delighted the boy. Fascinated by the shininess of the beads, he examined the plastic jewelry in his stubby yet coordinated hands. He showed his amazement by emitting a little coo.

"Hey. He likes it. Maybe he'll be good until Wakka's done." The blonde watched amusingly as the little boy continued to play with her hair, moving the braided strand this way and that, his curious eyes intently following.

"He's such a little an-ahhhhhhoowwww…" the thief leaned forward as her hair was pulled all of a sudden. "Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-" she continued as little Junior continued to yank her hair.

"No, no, no Junior. We don't pull hair." The boy's mother, Lulu, quickly came over to take her son out of poor Rikku's hair (no pun intended). "Let go, Junior. Let it-let it go, sweetie." Her son had a death grip on a very bulky lock of hair. Pulling him away without loosening his grip would surely leave Rikku with a very unattractive bald spot.

"Junior." Her tone grew serious. Scary serious.

The toddler looked up, saw his mother's face, and immediately let go—but not without a little souvenir.

"Ow." The thief rubbed her scalp where a clump of hair had been displaced. She looked to the boy who was now safely out of reach. In his hand was a fistful of blonde hair. "That is SO gonna leave a mark." She patted her now sore scalp.

"I'm so sorry, Rikku. He's at that age…" Lulu sincerely apologized for her son's behavior.

"It's all right. It'll grow back." She easily forgave the young boy, "He's too cute to stay mad at."

"Say sorry, Junior." The mother instructed her child.

"Sorry Junior." The boy grinned innocently.

"I see he got daddy's sense of humor." The mage shook her head amusingly, "C'mon Junior. Let's go see the baby." She gently pulled her son along. Curious, he eagerly followed.

"Awww. He likes you." The warrior teased the thief who was still sitting in her lap.

"Nuh-uh. He's terrified of me. You saw him cry."

"You gotta see past the obvious. Little boys always do the opposite of what they mean."

"Ok," the blonde thought about it, "so he does. So what?"

"Someone has an admirer."

"He's a little kid."

"I might need to step up my game. He could be some fierce competition." The silver-haired one continued to joke.

"Oh stop. You know you're the only marshmallow in my campfire." The thief elbowed the obnoxious older woman in the stomach and folded her arms across her chest.

"Eh...I don't know. The kid looks pretty tough." Paine said, pretending to be doubtful. "And that cute little smile could totally put me out of business."

"Hmm. Maybe…" The thief put her index finger to her lips and tapped them ponderingly, "Nah, I'm kidding." She laughed.

A happy, excited, and well rested Tidus skipped in at that moment, "Sorry I'm late," he announced. "I didn't realize I'd slept in."

"That's all right, hon. You wanna hold the baby?" His wife looked up to his eager face.

"Yeah!" He rushed over, nearly tripping over the chair where the blonde and the warrior were sitting.

Brother, Gippal, Buddy, and Shinra joined not long after—each eager to hold little Ayane.

So, once again, the room was a scene of crowded chaos. Fitting eleven people into a tiny hospital room is quite a feat.

Today seemed like it was going to be just like yesterday: full of excitement and fidgeting to hold the baby. But, with one little twist. Today, Yuna would be leaving the hospital and rejoining the Celsius crew, with a new addition.

It took nearly half the day, but all overly motherly preparations were finally finished.

"Ahhh. It feels good to be back on the Celsius again." The summoner took a deep breath and inhaled the familiar ship's aroma, baby in arms.

"I'll unpack, you and Ayane can go relax." Her fatherly husband insisted. He gave his wife and child a quick kiss, then set off to carry the few bags they packed to their room.

Yuna sighed dreamily and watched her husband 'manfully' trudged the bags up a short flight of stairs. "He's such a great guy." She sighed again.

"Yunie…you're drooling." The summoner's cousin took the liberty of leading her to the couch. "Yunie…Yunie…Yunie-Yunie-Yunie-Yunie-" She waved her hand in front of her face and snapped her fingers to try and catch her cousin's attention.

"What?" The new mother blinked the trance out of her eyes, "Sorry." She wiped the spit hanging from the corner of her mouth.

"I swear. You're TOO in love with that guy." The thief smirked, joking obviously.

"What can I say?" The summoner shrugged dreamily.

"Thaaaaat…the fruit of your passions happens to be slipping out of your arms?"

The white magic healer shrieked in a panic and instantly looked down. Her little bundle of joy wasn't, at all, slipping from her grasp. She threw a warning glance at her laughing younger cousin and protectively wrapped the blankets tighter around her child.

"I'm sorry Yunie," The hysterical thief wiped a tear from her eye, "I had to stop you from drooling somehow."

"You don't joke about things like that." Yuna fixed a very serious and very scary glare at her cousin, almost scolding her.

The blonde shut her mouth and started to cower in fear. Never once did she Yuna this intimidating. "Sorry." She whimpered like a small child.

"Whoa. Her motherly instincts are kicking in." Paine leaned over to her friend, keeping her eyes on the boiling mother. "Rikku, why don't you go see if Tidus needs help. Quickly, if you value your life. Go….GO. Now-run." She nudged the frozen thief.

The Al Bhed girl pushed herself up, also not taking her eyes off the temperamental mom. Slowly she backed away a couple steps. Distanced safely, she whipped around and broke into a sprint, "Tidus! Hey, Tidus!" she called out.

"I gotta give you credit for that, Yuna." The warrior complimented after Rikku was out of sight, "You ever consider acting?"

"Oh, no. I was being serious." The summoner straightened and bobbed her head slightly.

The warrior's jaw dropped. Never had she seen Yuna even frown from the first day they met. "Oh…kay. That's…good to know." She scooted back a couple inches.

"It's okay. I wont bite…now." The brunette laughed.

Paine only laughed weakly, not wanting to risk another outburst in case the summoner was only kidding. "So," she tried to change the subject, "what're you doing tomorrow?"

The gunner calmed her laughs. "I don't know. Why?"

"I was wondering if you could help me."

"Oh. In that case," she gently placed her baby in the warrior's arms, "I'm free. What do you have in mind?" she gingerly started stroking a little tuft of her infant's hair.

888

"What d'ya think they're talkin' about?" the thief peeked over the railing to spy on the two women below who were obviously having a very in-depth conversation.

"Dunno. But could you please keep your attention on the task at hand?" the blitzer took the mid-folded shirt Rikku had in her hands.

"Oh, sorry." She reached for another piece of clothing from the floor, trying to keep her sights over the railing. Her hands moved around blindly.

Tidus took his foot scooted a nearby shirt under the girl's reach.

"Ha!" she yelled in triumph.

"Stop spying. It doesn't get you anything but a smack in the face—believe me." The blonde man held up a hand to the side of his face where an invisible scar lied.

Weighing the odds—spying or a clobbering from Paine—the thief quickly retreated from her overlooking post and hastily started folding more clothes.

888

Though nothing interesting happened at all—except for whenever Ayane cooed or drooled—the day passed by before anyone could notice again.

"Gosh, what a day." A freshly showered Paine toweled off her hair.

It was now bedtime for all crew members on the Celsius, all of them pooped and tired.

"You have fun talkin' to Yunie?" The thief wrapped herself around the warrior as soon as the presence crawled into bed. She snuggled deep into the crook of her companion's neck.

"Yeah," the warrior replied. "You have fun foldin' clothes with Tidus?"

"Pffff," the blonde snorted, "Yeah." She paused for a second, "What were you talkin' about with Yunie?"

"Dunno."

"Tell me." The Al Bhed positioned herself closer to her cuddle buddy.

"Don't wanna."

"Please?" The thief planted a quick kiss on the side of the warrior's face.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please-please-please-" Rikku continued her smooches between each of Paine's 'no's.'

"Pllllllleeeeeaasseeee?" The thief made one final desperate plea.

"No." The warrior replied flatly, not affected by the blonde's pouts. "You should know, you were listenin' in on the whole thing."

The blonde snapped her mouth shut, "You saw me?" She asked curiously.

"YUNA saw you too."

The thief fell silent. "Sorry." She whimpered. As Tidus said, all he got was a 'smack in the face.' Which was what she was waiting for now.

"S'all right. I'll drop it if you drop it."

What? No pain? No hurt?

The blonde cautiously opened one eye. She found two ruby ones staring back at her. No, they were filled with angry temperament; but soft, understanding, and sleeping.

"'Kay." The Al Bhed relaxed into the arm wrapped ever-so-protectively around her torso.

"G'night." The silver-haired female paused and lowered her voice to only a whisper, "I love you."

The thief shifted comfortably, "I know you do." She mumbled playfully. She fell asleep not five seconds later, lightly snoring.

Paine soon nodded off too, using the snoring as a lullaby.

**Another chapter down. Don't worry. Chapter 4 is on its way.**

**-unusualauthor**


	4. Chapter 4

"**Yaaaaaay! Another chapter!"**

**That's what you're all thinking now right? Another chapter update within a week (give or take a couple days) of the previous one. What a miracle on my part.**

**I got some reviews on the last chapter that made me feel all special inside and motivated me to type up the next chapter with invigorating speed.**

**Here's a few reviews that motivated me:**

**theGullwing: _This is a great fic! Paine with a baby...With Rikku! That's just too cute! Seriously this is really well written too! Keep the chapters coming please!_**

**Kioni: _That's interesting. It's a pretty fluent fiction coming along here. Everyone has been paired off, and that stuffs. Can't wait to se what's going to come up next. Hope to see more soon_**

**Dannichu: _This is just great so far! I'm really enjoying it. It's really nice to see Shinra actually get some semblance of an appearance here; I think this is the first Rikku/Paine fic I've read where he's gotten more lines than "I'm just a kid". You made everyone's reaction to Yuna really realistic too; giving birth really does horrible things to people. I love Paine's reaction to being woken up, too; 'Uh-uh. Good dream' XD. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this will play out, I'm really excited!  
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_**As usual, your grammar and so on is really good, though the 'pety' in the summary should have two 't's (I'm being nitpicky again, I know...), and you may wish to change the 'she's eating' line to 'she's feeding'... I'll shut up now. This really rocks though; the plot, the in-character-ness, the writing style, the originality… I can't wait for more!**_

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Chapter 4

Sun. lots and LOTS of sun. Good sun, nice sun. Oh, wonderful life-giving star of the universe.

How she hated it.

Rikku awoke to a face full of blinding sunlight. She turned to the side to hide her face in her companion's back.

But there was no companion to be found.

The thief looked under the blankets, checked under the bed, and then glanced at the clock.

9:58 a.m.

Dang. It's early. Too early.

And one thing Paine was known for was her unexplainable ability to sleep well into the afternoon. How she managed to be out of bed this early was beyond her.

Maybe she was out for a bathroom break or an early training session.

Yeah, that's it. Early training.

"Maybe I'll go join her." The thief thought aloud. She picked herself up out of bed and started for the kitchen—she was craving a good breakfast first.

Surprisingly, Tidus was in the kitchen too. He was a close second when it came to sleeping in.

"Morning." He waved chipperdly.

"Mornin'. Why're you up so early?" The blonde yawned and made her way across the breakfast bar where there was some food already cooked and ready to eat.

"Yuna woke me and I couldn't get back to sleep."

"Why?" The thief raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Ha ha. Not what you think." The former blitzer lightly smacked the table, "She said she was going out with Paine."

The blonde jerked forward, spitting coffee out everywhere at the same time. "What!" She shrieked while wiping her mouth on her forearm.

"HA!" The blonde man banged the table again, "Not what you think AGAIN." He pointed a finger at Rikku, who was now wiping off the table where she sprayed morning coffee all over. "They went out to check out the shops."

"Oh." The thief paused a moment in realization. "What for?"

It was a rhetorical question. They WERE currently located in Luca. And the only good thing to do there is…shop. Duh.

"Shopping." Tidus answered though he knew the question was kind of dumb.

"What about Ayane?"

"They took her too. Everybody else is sleeping, so it's just us."

"Yup."

Next came the awkward silence. The once-was blitzer and the thief hadn't exactly hung out a lot since they defeated Sin two years back.

Tidus tapped his cup on the tabletop unrhythmically and Rikku rocked back and forth on her heels.

"Say, I got nothin' to do," the blonde male couldn't take the silence anymore, "and I gotta get Ayane a crib. I was thinkin' I could go pick one up in Luca and put it together by the time the girls get back."

"Yeah, cool. It'll be the perfect opportunity for us to catch up." The thief perked up at the thought of being able to hang out with someone instead of loafing around until Paine returned home.

"You really wanna come?"

"Shyeah."

"Yes!" The new father celebrated, excited that he wouldn't have to be lazy today too. He had been in an almost isolated state for nine months taking care of Yuna. "Hurry up and eat. We'll leave soon."

* * *

As for Paine at this very moment, even though shopping in Luca was her idea—she was SO not enjoying herself right now.

"I am SO not enjoying myself right now."

See?

The warrior turned her gaze skyward and prayed to the heavens to come save her.

"Oh stop. This was your idea." The summoner rolled her eyes and elbowed the bored silver-haired woman.

"Yeah, I know. But it's so BORING!" The ruby-eyed woman groaned.

"Stop whining. Shopping's not that bad." The brunette rolled her eyes.

"Yes it is."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not." Yuna held out her bundled baby to place in the warrior's arms.

Something caught the silver-haired one's eye. A flash of blonde hair.

"Oh sh-get down."

"Gah! Paine! The baby!" a caught off guard summoner squealed as she was so hastily pushed up against a wall, poor little Ayane caught in the middle of the two bodies.

"Don't worry, Paine. Rikku isn't here. She's on the Celsius, remember?" Yuna, concerned for her baby, pushed the warrior off of her, "Even if she was, what're the chances we'll run into her? Luca's a big place. I bet she's nowhere near…holy crap! Move."

Now was Paine's turn to get so abruptly shoved against a wall.

"Yike-Yuna! The baby!" The warrior instinctively shot her hands up to protect the baby's head from hitting against the-she hated to admit it-rock hard intensity of her stomach.

"Oh, sorry. Thought I saw Tidus." The summoner grinned sheepishly.

"Yuna. Tidus can't be here. He's on the Celsius, remember?" The silver-haired warrior playfully mocked.

"Oh, hush and get in that shop." The brunette transferred her baby to the warrior and lightly shoved her towards a random shop.

"Do I have to?" The taller woman whined, "I'll just stay here and watch the baby."

"Paine. Get in the shop." The summoner turned serious, fed up with the whining thanks to her new found motherly instincts.

"Yes mother." The warrior immediately shrunk back and obediently cowered into the shop in front of her.

* * *

"Paine, you're home!"

"Yuna, you're home!"

An eager Rikku and Tidus screamed in unison as they rounded a corner to greet their significant others as soon as they heard the lift open.

"Honey-no-slow down-no-TIDUS!" The summoner shrieked.

The speeding Tidus screeched to a halt and paced himself to a walk.

As for Paine…

GLOMP. B-i-i-i-ig glomp.

"Ha!" The blitzer enjoyed himself as the thief and warrior were sprawled on the floor and…

Smooching?

"You said you owed me." The blonde girl grinned mischievously when she pulled away.

"Well I meant somewhere private. Not in front of-" The warrior stammered.

A polite little 'ahem' came from somewhere above them.

The two looked up to see a very perturbed looking Yuna impatiently tapping her foot.

"Not in front of the child please." The brunette bent over the pile of two women.

"Eh-heh." The thief grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, Yunie." She apologized and immediately rolled off her pinned companion.

"Ha ha." The blitzer 'nya-nyaed' childishly. "So what'd ya get me?" His youthful ADD changed the subject.

"Nothing." His wife eyed him warily, "Am I supposed to?"

"No." He smiled widely, "But I got you something." He ran to the stairs and sprinted up them at full speed. "C'mon." He eagerly chirped once at the top of the flight.

Yuna, tired from all the walking she just did, took her time climbing the steps. Baby in her arms, she didn't rush once she reached the top either. By the time she finally made her way to the room, Tidus was there jumping up and down very impatiently.

"Look!" The blitzer excitedly pointed at the foot of their bed where there was a new crib waiting. He ran over and flamboyantly gestured, "Ta-da!"

The summoner squealed, "Aww, Tidus! It's so cute! It's perfect. You built this?"

The full grown man eagerly nodded. "Yup. With a little help from Rikku." He smiled.

"It wouldn't be able to stand by itself without my help." The thief walked in, Paine right behind her.

"Heh." The blitzer grinned, hand behind his head.

"Thank you, Rikku." The brunette gave a giant, warm hug to her cousin.

"And thank YOU, Tidus." Yuna moved to give her husband something more than a hug.

"Dah. C'mon, baby. I don't think you wanna see this." The blonde Al Bhed hurriedly took her niece and shuffled out of the room. "Not in front of the kid, guys. Sheesh." She mumbled at the doorway.

Paine followed close behind. "Geez you guys. You just had a kid, we don't need another one." She smirked on her way out, quickly closing the door before any projectile items could be thrown her way.

* * *

"So how was hanging out with Yunie today?" The two women had retreated to the living room and were now lounging on the couch.

"Wasn't bad. How was your day with Tidus?" The warrior leaned over to brush something out of little Ayane's hair.

The thief groaned. "Oh gosh! That guy can NOT handle a screwdriver, I swear." She griped, "I had to put 99 of that crib together." She rested her chin on her hand.

"Fun?"

"Yup." She sat up brightly.

"Well, you're a great mechanic." The warrior took the baby into her own arms.

"What'd you shop for?"

"OH look!" The ruby eyed woman chirped, "Ayane's drooling." She changed the subject.

"Hold on. I'll get a towel." The thief jumped over the back of the couch—stumbling, of course—before running off to the kitchen.

"Heh heh. That was a close one." The warrior leaned back in relief.

Little Ayane cooed from below.

"I know, right?" She glanced down at the baby in her arms.

"Got it!" Rikku ran in. being her clumsy self, she tripped halfway to the couch—sending the towel flying out of her hands.

"Thanks hon'." The silver haired one easily snatched the towel in midair.

The thief pulled her face out of the ground, "No problem."

She made her way to the couch, tripped halfway, but made a perfect landing on the couch.

"Clumsy." Paine smirked a very rare smirk.

"Not clumsy. Just…" The blonde positioned her feet under herself and sat on her knees, "…ungraceful of the feet." She grinned.

"Whatever you say," the warrior dabbed some spit that began to appear on the little baby's mouth, "…clumsy."

"Oh really?" The Al Bhed laid the foundation for a childish word game.

"Yeah really." The warrior played along.

"Ya sure about that?" The petite thief leaned in slightly.

"Heck yeah." The silver haired woman shortened the distance between them.

The blonde leaned even closer, tightened her lips, and stared the warrior down. "Prove it." She breathed onto her companion's face.

She took the challenge. Paine began to close the remaining space between them. Oh, she was gonna prove it. Prove it good like it should. One thing for sure: she was VERY good at proving things to Rikku. It just took a little-

CRASH!

"Oh Shhhhhiva! Rikku!"

The thief cringed at the call of her name, the warrior flinched at the loud yelling, and the baby started crying due to the startling noises.

"You owe me." The blonde Al Bhed smiled sweetly at her friend.

"Seems to be happening a lot." The warrior grinned.

"You're SO gonna pay for that." The blonde smiled heartily before dashing to the flight of stairs leading towards the sound of Tidus' voice.

"RIKKU!"

"WHAT!" she answered the demanding voice. He was so impatient. Couldn't even wait until she was halfway up the stairs.

Paine, who had stayed behind at the couch, chuckled and reclined her legs to take up the remaining space on the cushions. It seems she would be getting some valuable quiet time for a few minutes.

"Heya, Paine.

Never mind.

"What?" The formerly relaxed warrior greeted the summoner without moving a muscle.

"Nothing. Just came to hang out." The once was gunner finished her way down the stairs.

"Why?"

CRASH!

"DANG IT, TIDUS! I knew I shouldn't have let you have the screwdriver!"

The summoner smirked at the yelling voice and walked over to the couch to soothe her wailing child.

Paine gladly obliged and handed the baby to their mother. Almost instantly, little Ayane stopped her crying once back in her mother's arms.

Now there could be SOME relaxing time. The warrior took advantage of this and reclined again. "You hide it?" she rested her feet on a nearby footrest so Yuna could sit on the couch.

"Yup. Real good, too." The summoner plopped on the adjacent cushion and started to gently rock her baby.

"Did Tidus see it?"

"Nope." The gunner smiled, proud that she had evaded her husband's nosy little eyes.

"Good." The warrior relaxed into the inviting cushions, listening with closed eyes to the soulful sounds of the crashing symphony upstairs.

With the banging around and yelling working in almost perfect unison, it did become quite musically relaxing. Tidus' clumsiness mixed with Rikku's melodic, screaming voice equaled a plentiful amount of amusement.

It lasted for a while. Longer then Paine herself expected. With the blonde thief's craftiness and superb mechanical ability, she'd thought they'd be done in a snap.

CRASH!

Obviously not.

"I told you I didn't want you screwing the bolts on the crib." A very ruffled looking thief stomped down the stairs, an equally rustled Tidus following behind.

"Aw, c'mon! Leftie loosie, righty tighty. See? I got it!" The former blitzer yelled in defense.

"Sure…after the sixth try."

"But it's progress, right?" The blonde swordsmen held his arms out, compensating for his clumsiness.

"Yeah, I guess." The forgiving Al Bhed calmed and concentrated on fixing her hair while making her way to the already occupied couch. "Crib's fixed." She smiled to the two lounging women, a half-braided strand of hair in her hands.

"Good thing." The ruby-eyed warrior took the midway styled strand and took the liberty of braiding it herself, though she wasn't very good at it. But who was complaining?

Tidus soon joined them on the couch, completing what was a cute, little scene. One you would see on a postcard or on TV: the two almost sickeningly perfect couples having a lovely time and chatting away. It could make one of weak heart sick.

Eww.

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So here's chapter 4. Enjoy it, review it, eat it.

**I'm out. Goin' to work on chapter 5. But I've barely written it so….be even more patient for the next update.**


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